A variety of people counting systems are well-known and commercially available. In general, people counting systems provide a count of people crossing a particular passageway and, in some cases, also provide an indication of the direction of travel of people crossing the passageway. These systems may be configured to include one more sensors adjacent each passageway to be monitored and associated people counting data collection units for receiving people count information from the sensors.
The sensors may utilize a variety of people detection technologies such as providing a beam, e.g., an infrared beam, across the passageway to be monitored. As people enter or exit the passageway, the beam is temporarily interrupted. The beam sensor detects this interruption and the associated data collection unit stores count data for each sensor.
Each people counting data collection unit may include a user interface whereby a user can access, analyze, and manipulate people count data associated therewith. Unfortunately, however, the people counting data collection units have not been configured to communicate with one another. Therefore, a user cannot access or analyze people count data from all people counting data collection units installed at a particular location by simply accessing only one of the people counting data collection units.
Accordingly, there is a need for a people counting system wherein communication of data between data collection units is facilitated.